Well, I suppose reading various entries will give you a little insight as to why I am the way I am. Good luck with that.

Tuesday, April 05, 2011

The Alchemyst: the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

I just finished reading The Alchemyst, and... don't judge the book by its pretty cover. I don't know what it is about the book that I don't like. Is it the fact that it (and its sequels) don't have satisfying conclusions? Can it be the fact that I've found a few grammatical errors in the text? Maybe the writing appears a bit childish for me. Or maybe... maybe it's because the writing is very similar to my own, and I'm offended as to how it turned out in my eyes.

I suppose it shouldn't bother me that much. After all, it is an adolescent book that tries to tie in all of the worldly events and historical characters into one big "magic conspiracy". I guess I felt that there was so much potential that wasn't applied. I read the last chapter and (no spoiler alert, don't worry) I know EXACTLY how I would've ended it to make it a better novel. The ending wasn't what bothered me so much. What bothered me was that it felt so... so... Disney. I pictured the character of Dr. John Dee looking exactly like Alfred Molina (Horvath) did in The Sorcerer's Apprentice. I found the story to be too contrived -- even for a fantasy/fiction novel -- and the plot development was amateur. But, what do I know? I'm not even published yet.

So... why, you may ask, did I pick up the book in the first place? Well, the cover was pretty. I told you that already. Plus, the little blurb on the back held a lot of promise.

One thing is certain: I'm not willing to lend my time to another 6+ books written the same way... is the series supposed to end?

Songs I've Written~Face Against the Glass (A Song For Emily)~~Better Off As Friends (A Song For Elizabeth)~~In Another Dimension~~Drunken Monsters~~Makes No Sense~~Fallen Leaves~~Heart Glue~~Deeper Shades of Grey~~When She (A Song For Paris)~~Here We Are, Again~